Wrench.



W. H. DAWSON.

WRENGH. APJPLIOATION FILED NOV. 21, 1908.

I Patented May 11, 1909.

q/vihwoua UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. DAWSON, OF DERRYHALE, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO \VI LLIAM P. WATERS, OF DERRYHALE, WEST VIRGINIA.

WRE N CH Application filed November 21, 1908.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, illman H. Dawson, citizen of the United States, residing at Derryhale, in the county of Fayette and' that type designed for use on pipes, although adapted to be employed with other work generally, and the invention has for its objeet a simple, durable and efficient construction of device of this character which is susceptible of being used with work of different sizes, and which embodies primarily a slide equipped with a movable jaw that is arranged, when adjusted to the work, to actuate a peculiar mechanism to lock the slide effectually in position and preclude the possibility of the wrench slipping during use.

With this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench equipped with the improvements of my invention, parts being removed to show the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet teeth; Fig. 2- is an enlarged transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective, of the slide; Fig. et. is a similar view of the yielding jaw and the pawl operated thereby.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing, by the same reference characters.

My improved wrench consists essentially of a longitudinally disposed bar or shank 1, the forward extremity of which is substantially perpendicularly disposed to constitute a rigid jaw 2. This jaw 2 is arranged to limit the forward movement of a slide or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Serial No. 463,896.

head that is carried by the shank and that is formed with a longitudinal opening 4: in which the shank is accommodated so as to mount the slide thereon for a limited longitudinal movement. A movable or yielding jaw 5 is disposed at the forward end of the slide 3 on the corresponding side of the shank 1 to the rigid jaw 2, so as to be adapted to be moved into cooperative relation with the latter to engage the work, the opposing walls of the jaws being preferably roughened or serrated in any suitable manner, as indicated at (i, in order to effect a more positive gripping of the work. The inner end of this movable jaw is pivoted to the slide 3 in proximity to the shank 1, as indicated at 7, while the outer end of the jaw is designed to be yieldingly sustained in spaced relation to the slide by any suitable means. as for instance, a coil spring 8 which is seated in a socket in the forward end of the slide and normally projectstherebeyond and impinges against the outer or movable end of the jaw Intermediate of its ends, the yielding aw is pivotally connected wit-h the forward end of a preferably wedge-shaped pawl 9 that is accommodated in a correspondingly shaped obliquely inwardly disposed opening 10 which preferably opens through the adjacent side wall of the longitudinal opening in order to permit an opeative engagement to be effected between the inner beveled end 11 of the pawl and a series of ratchet teeth 12 provided in the corresponding edge of the shank 1. In the normal position of the parts, the pawl 9 is ar ranged loosely within the opening 10 in a somewhat partially retracted position, through the instrumentality of its connection with the movable jaw 5, and the beveled end 11 of the pawl is thus sustained in inoperative relation to the ratchet teeth 12, so as to admit of the free longitudinal movement of the slide upon the shank 1.

In the practical use of a wrench constructed in. accordance with my invention, the slide 3 is moved'toward the rear end of the shank and the wrench is applied to the work to be turned, preferably a pipe, so that the rigid jaw 2 extends across the work 011 one side thereof, as shown. The slide 3 is then moved movable jaw 5 rearwardly against the tension of the coil spring 8, and causes the free end of such jaw to bear against the-adjacent end of the slide, the serrations 6 of the jaws biting the work to effect a firm engagement therewith. The swinging inoven'ient oi the movable ja 5 manifestly moves the pawl 9 rearwardly in the opening 10 t0 wedge the former in position in the latter and cause the inner end 11 of the pawl to engage the ratchet teeth 12 011 the shank 1, thereby automatically locking the slide securely in position and precluding the possibility of such slide working out ot position during the operation of the wrench. The wrench is then manipulated in the customary manner to efi'ect the desired turning of the work. After such turning has been completed, it is only necessary to reverse the movement of the wrench to effect the ready detachment of the same from the work, whereupon the yielding jaw 5 is returned to its'normal position by the spring 8, and the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet teeth to release the slide and thus automatically render the wrench again ready for use.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A wrench comprising a toothed shank provided with a rigid jaw a slide mounted upon the shank and carrying a yielding aw arranged for cooperation with the rigid jaw the slide being formed with an opening leading from a point in proximity to the yielding jaw and h ving communication with the teeth, and a pawl slidably mounted in the opening and operatively connected at one end to the yielding aw, the other end of the pawl being designed to be pressed into engageinent with the teeth to hold the slide in formed with an obliquely in 'ardly disposed i opening leading from the end of the slide adjacent to the rigid jaw and having communication with the teeth, a yielding jaw carried at said end of the slide and arranged tor cooperation with the rigid jaw, and a pawl slidably mounted in the opening and operatively connected at one end to the yielding jaw, the other end of the pawl be ing arranged to be pressed into engagement with the teeth to hold the slide in adjusted position.

3. A wrench comprising a toothed shank provided with a rigid jaw, a slide mounted on the shank and equipped with a yielding jaw arranged for cooperation with the rigid jaw, the slide being formed with an opening leading from a point in proximity to the yielding jaw and having communication with the teeth a pawl slidably mounted in the opening and operatively connected at one end to the yielding jaw and adapted to be moved thereby to engage its opposite end with the teeth, the opening and the pawl being correspondingly tapered and the pawl being wedged in the opening when engaged with the teeth, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence oi two witnesses.

. WILLIAM H. DAWSON. [L.s.]

itnesses J. V. MALoNn, V. B. PEN MAN. 

